Cardea, Community Education Group, and TruEvolution are partnering to learn how COVID-19 is impacting Rural Health Services Providers (RHSPs) so they can better facilitate conversations with policymakers and advocate to expand access to resources to support client care.

RHSPs are a vital component of American public health infrastructure that often serve as entry points into care for populations that may not otherwise engage in health or social services. RHSPs provide healthcare-related services in rural counties, as designated by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), or rural census tracts in urban counties. RHSP is a broadly defined term, and they can be:

• Public or private
• Non-profit or for-profit organizations and corporations
• Faith-based or community-based
• Located in rural, suburban, or urban areas

Despite the critical services they provide, they do not meet any existing federal designations designations set forth by the HRSA, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and/or any other federal entity.

Do you operate an RHSP? Please consider participating in this 10-minute, voluntary, and confidential survey to share your experiences. Findings from this survey will be summarized in a brief report and will inform planning and policy conversations. This survey will close on September 7, 2020.

This survey will ask whether your organization has received several different types of resources to support COVID-19 response. The CARES Act created a couple of different pools of funds that health care providers might be able to access. For example, the CARES act Provider Relief Fund enables CMS to distribute federal funds to health providers in response to COVID-19. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which has received wide media coverage, was also established by the CARES Act and provides small businesses with funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs including benefits. PPP funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. Several state and local governments as well as community foundations have also provided funding to service providers to respond to COVID-19.

If you would like to participate in this survey, please click the ‘Next’ button below.